Idol Dreams
Idol Dreams is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Arina Tanemura. Idol Dreams is serialized in the bimonthly List of [manga magazines|manga magazine] Melody since 2013.
Plot
Chikage Deguchi, a 31-year-old office worker, believes her life to be dull and full of missed opportunities. She is nostalgic for when she was 15 years old, which she believes to be at her prime. During her middle school reunion, Chikage becomes humiliated when her class discovers that she has never had a boyfriend, and when she plans on confessing to her former classmate, Haruki Kunitachi, she becomes crushed when she learns he has a girlfriend.When Kanshi Tokita, another former classmate, finds her, he offers her an experimental drug that can change her body to her 15-year-old self for 5–6 hours. After Chikage takes it, she is suddenly scouted to become an idol, and she decides to take the chance to make the most of what she missed out when she was younger. Going under the name Akari Deguchi as her 15-year-old self, Chikage begins to lead a double life.
Characters
;Chikage Deguchi;Kanshi Tokita
;Hibiki Maido
;Mashiro
;Yuko Nikaido
;Haruki Kunitachi
;Hinagiku Hanami
Media
Manga
Originally titled Thirty-one I Dream in Japan, the series is written and illustrated by Arina Tanemura. It is serialized in the bimonthly magazine Melody since April 27, 2013. The chapters were later released in 7 bound volumes by Hakusensha under the Hana to Yume Comics Melody imprint. While writing the series, Tanemura announced that several characters from Neko to Watashi no Kinyōbi, which ran concurrently in Margaret, would be making minor appearances.The limited edition of volume 3 was bundled with a character song CD for Tokita, featuring the song "Sakura-iro Time Trip" with lyrics written by Tanemura. Tokita was voiced by Ryohei Kimura, who had provided the voice for Eichi Sakurai in the anime adaptation of Full Moon o Sagashite, one of Tanemura's previous works.
In 2015, Viz Media licensed the series for North American distribution in English, under the title Idol Dreams and with the Shojo Beat imprint. Volume 4 was originally slated to be released on November 7, 2017, but was delayed due to a fire in the warehouse storing the books.
The series went on an hiatus starting with the October 2020 issue of Melody, and has not resumed serialization since. The seventh volume was the last one to be released before that indefinite break.
Chapters not yet in ''tankōbon'' format
- 40.
Reception
Volume 1 debuted at #19 on Oricon and sold 49,107 copies in its first week. Volume 3 debuted at #44 on Oricon and sold 19,704 copies in its first week. Volume 4 debuted at #42 on Oricon and sold 15,127 copies in its first week and 31,762 copies overall.